Fuyumi looked up from her desk and returned Shiriku's smile. "Morning, Shiriku. I'm good, thanks. How about you?" she replied with a polite nod.
Shiriku grinned, his excitement palpable. "I'm doing well too. Can't wait to see how we all did on the quiz. We put in a lot of effort, right?"
"Definitely," Fuyumi agreed with a nod. "Let's hope for the best."
10 MINUTES LATER:
While Junichi and Sachi waited anxiously for their quiz results, Junichi tried to lighten the mood with a few jokes. "Well, at least we'll find out who's the brainiac among us," he quipped, earning a chuckle from Sachi.
Meanwhile, Shiriku and Fuyumi received their grades. Shiriku beamed with pride as he saw his A+, but he was surprised when he noticed Fuyumi's B. He had always thought of her as a top-notch student.
As they all got their grades, Junichi let out a groan at his C. "Looks like I'll be hitting the books harder next time," he muttered with a sigh. On the other hand, Sachi's face lit up with pride at her A. Shiriku congratulated her on her excellent grade.
Dachi and Daiki received B grades, which caught Junichi off guard. "I didn't expect them to do so well," he remarked in surprise. Their response? "We might goof off, but we've got brains too, unlike you!" they teased before sauntering off.
"Don't sweat it, Junichi. You did your best," Shiriku reassured him with a supportive smile.
Junichi sighed, "Thanks, Shiriku. I just can't believe Dachi and Daiki beat me. They're always clowning around in class."
Sachi chimed in, "Maybe they've got their own way of studying. Everyone learns differently."
"You did great, Junichi. There's always room to improve," she added, offering him a supportive smile.
Junichi grinned at Sachi's encouragement, grateful for her unwavering support. "Thanks, Sachi."
.
.
.
"Hey, Fuyumi, everything cool?" Shiriku inquired, his tone laced with concern. "I was a bit surprised to see you got a B. Something on your mind?"
Fuyumi let out a sigh, feeling a twinge of embarrassment. "I don't know, you tell me!" she replied, avoiding eye contact, her tone tinged with frustration. Watching her reaction, Shiriku couldn't help but think, "Whoa, is she really mad at me?"
FUYUMI'S POV:
Fuyumi's thoughts raced as she fretted, "Oh no, did I just snap at him? I didn't mean to sound angry... I hope I didn't hurt his feelings."
SHIRIKU'S POV:
Shiriku's mind raced as he pondered how to break the awkward silence. He knew he needed to talk to her one on one about something that had been weighing on him, but he didn't want to make it seem too serious or romantic.
FUYUMI'S POV:
Trying to compose herself, Fuyumi turned back to Shiriku, forcing a smile. "Sorry about that. Just a bit frustrated with the grade."
SHIRIKU'S POV:
"No worries, Fuyumi. I get it... or at least I think I do," Shiriku replied with a half-hearted chuckle, unsure of how to proceed. He had an idea in mind but wasn't sure if it was the right moment to bring it up. He knew he needed to talk to her one on one, but he didn't want to make it seem too intimate or romantic.
.
.
.
Just as Shiriku was about to speak up, Fuyumi surprised him by voicing the same thing he had in mind.
SHIRIKU AND FUYUMI'S POVS:
"Hey, wanna go to the library together?" they both blurted out simultaneously, then chuckled nervously at the unexpected synchronicity. Their eyes met, and they shared a moment of realization that they had the same idea.
"Sure, sounds great," Shiriku replied, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. "What time works for you?"
Fuyumi's smile widened, relieved that they were on the same page. "How about after lunch? I'm free then," she suggested. Internally, she couldn't help but think, "Wait, Shiriku is inviting me, not Ayaka? This is my chance to ask him about something."
"Perfect, after lunch it is," Shiriku agreed with a grin. Internally, he felt relieved that Fuyumi wasn't mad at him after all. "Nice, she agreed. Now I can ask her if she's upset or not," he mused to himself.
.
.
.
They headed to the library, Fuyumi felt a rush of excitement about spending time studying with Shiriku. She was determined to make the most out of their time together and perhaps address any misunderstandings between them.
As they settled down, Fuyumi's excitement bubbled up, and she couldn't contain herself any longer. "Shiriku, I've been wanting to ask you something. Do you hate me?" she blurted out, her words betraying her nervousness.
Shiriku looked up from his book, surprised by Fuyumi's question. "What? No, of course not," he replied, his tone earnest as he tried to reassure her.
Fuyumi continued, her concern evident in her voice. "I just feel like you've been avoiding me lately. Did I do something wrong?"
Shiriku shook his head, "No, Fuyumi, you didn't do anything wrong. I've just been caught up with a few things lately," he explained, hoping to put her worries to rest.
They lapsed into a comfortable silence, focusing on their studies but occasionally exchanging notes or assisting each other with challenging problems. Fuyumi found herself able to concentrate better with Shiriku's presence beside her, and she appreciated the quiet camaraderie they shared.
After a couple of hours, they decided to take a break and grabbed some snacks from the vending machine. "Want to grab some snacks from the vending machine?" Shiriku suggested.
Fuyumi nodded eagerly, "Yes, I could definitely use a break," she agreed, smiling.
As they selected their snacks, Fuyumi couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment with the situation. "You know, this is really nice. Just the two of us spending time together like this," she remarked, giving him a soft smile.
Shiriku returned her smile, "Yeah, it is nice," he replied, unaware of any romantic undertones.
Despite her disappointment at his obliviousness, Fuyumi was determined not to give up just yet. As they returned to their study area, she resolved to find a way to convey her feelings more clearly without overwhelming him.